Former Ghana midfielder Michael Essien believes the Black Stars have what it takes to progress beyond the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and restore pride after recent disappointments on football’s biggest stage.
Ghana will head to the tournament in North America hoping to improve on their early exits in Qatar 2022 and Brazil 2014, with a challenging Group L campaign awaiting them against England, Croatia and Panama.
Despite the tough opposition, Essien remains optimistic about the quality within the current squad and expects the team to compete strongly.
“I think the team has the quality to make it out of the group phase. They were disappointing in the last World Cup in Qatar, and as a Ghanaian, the nation is also expecting the boys to do well,” Essien told talkSPORT.
The former Chelsea star singled out Ghana’s highly anticipated clash against England as one of the standout matches of the group stage but stressed the importance of focusing on each game individually.
“Ghana playing against England is a game everyone is looking up to, so let’s see what they can do, but they will have to take it game by game and make sure they win,” he added.
Essien believes reaching the knockout rounds should be the immediate objective for the Black Stars, insisting that advancement from the group would represent a significant achievement for the nation.
“If they can make it out of the group stage and then go to the next stage, and if something happens, I am sure the nation will be happy, but I have high hopes for the team to perform,” he said.
The Black Stars are currently in the United States putting the finishing touches to their preparations under head coach Carlos Queiroz. Ghana will face Jamaica in a final warm-up match on June 10 before turning their full attention to the World Cup.
The four-time African champions begin their campaign against Panama on June 17 before taking on England and Croatia in what promises to be one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.